Manzoor Wattoo

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Chief Minister of Punjab
In office
3 November 1996 – 16 November 1996
GovernorRaja Saroop Khan
Khalilur Rehman
Preceded byArif Nakai
Succeeded byMian Muhammad Afzal Hayat (caretaker)
In office
20 October 1993 – 13 September 1995
GovernorIqbal Khan
Chaudhry Altaf Hussain
Preceded byGhulam Haider Wyne
Succeeded byArif Nakai
Personal details
Born (1939-08-14) 14 August 1939 (age 84)
Pakistan Muslim League (Junejo) (1993-1995)
Pakistan Muslim League (1985-1993)
ChildrenKhurram Jahangir Wattoo (son)

Moazzam Jahanzeb Wattoo (son)

Zeeshan Wattoo (son)
Alma materGovernment Islamia College, Civil Lines, Lahore
OccupationPolitician

Chief Minister of Punjab, Pakistan in 1993 on the ticket of Pakistan Muslim League (J), after a series of tug of war between the federal and provincial government Wattoo twice had to leave office between his term only to leave office permanently on 16 November 1996.[4]

Wattoo formed the Pakistan Muslim League (Jinnah) in 1995 when he parted away from his prior party (then PML), but the party-PML (Jinnah), was unable to hold significant influence in national politics.

In May 2008, Wattoo along with his associates left Pakistan Muslim League (Quaid-e-Azam) and joined

Pakistan Peoples Party's provisional chapter of Punjab only to witness a complete failure in Punjab 2013 elections. In that election Cricketer-turned Politician Imran Khan's centre-left party PTI had challenged Pakistan Muslim League
(Nawaz) and had developed a following.

He tendered his resignation soon after the elections,[6] but he was asked to continue by PPP's Co-Chairman Asif Ali Zardari upon recommendation of PPP's Punjab Executive Committee.[7]

Political career

Mian Manzoor Ahmed Wattoo was first elected as Chairman District Council Okara in 1983 during the non-party elections of the Zia era with the guidance and support of late Abdul Shakoor Khan, a prolific and respectable personality of

Punjab
, the largest province of Pakistan on Pakistan Muslim League ticket. Thrice elected for the same office, he secured the office.

After a tug-of-war between Wattoo and Nawaz Sharif, the then restored (by Supreme Court) Prime Minister of Pakistan and head of the Pakistan Muslim League (N) (PML (N)), all assemblies were dissolved and only after a fresh election, Wattoo was elected the Chief Minister of Punjab again on PML (Junejo) ticket, ruling a coalition consisting chiefly of Pakistan People's Party (PPP), PML (Junejo), minorities, and some independents.

It was in 1995 that Wattoo formed his own PML (Jinnah), when he parted ways with

PPP
), leading Arif Nakai another PML (Junejo) candidate to be the new Chief Minister.

In Summer of 1995, Wattoo's father Mian Jahangir Ahmed Khan Wattoo died. Wattoo did not attend his father's funeral owing to the difference in religious ideology between a father and a son. Mian Jahangir Ahmed Khan Wattoo converted to the Ahmedi sect under the influence and training of the school headmaster of their native village, Muazzam, in Fazilka, India. Wattoo, on the other hand, took his mother's and forefather's (except father's) religion and is a Muslim.

Painted corrupt by the PPP and the PML-N, he was removed from the office of Chief Minister only to be restored to office a year later in 1996 by the High Court. Corruption allegations and court proceedings were started against Wattoo by arch rival and then Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif of the PML-N. Mian Manzoor Wattoo was sentenced by an accountability court to more than 10 years in prison besides being fined 10 million rupees, only later to be set aside in the appeals.

His daughter Rubina Shaheen Wattoo served as a member of the [National Assembly of Pakistan] for the PML(Q). He actively began taking part in politics and soon became a close ally of Pakistan President Pervez Musharraf. Having merged his political party, Pakistan Muslim League (Jinnah), into the ruling PML (Q) on presidential advice, he was made the Senior Vice President of the ruling party. His relations with the party's leadership remained sour from the beginning, who tried at marginalizing Wattoo and anyone associated with him.

Wattoo remained part of the part despite differences with the party leaders Chaudhry Shujaat Hussain and the Punjab Chief Minister

Chaudhry Pervaiz Elahi
who had previously suffered heavily under Wattoo's reign in Punjab (1993–95).

Wattoo announced to join forces with the Pakistan People's Party on 29 May 2008 along with party members in Islamabad soon after winning a decisive victory in February 2008 elections in which he won from two constituencies NA-146 and

NA-147
as an independent and his daughter Rubina Shaheen Wattoo won PP-188. Wattoo served as Federal Minister for Industries and Production in the PPP government of Prime Minister Syed Yusuf Raza Gilani his portfolio was changed and he became Federal Minister for Kashmir Affairs and Northern Areas.

His son, Khurram Jahangir Wattoo, who won

NA-147
, after his father left his home constituency, was made the Parliamentary Secretary for Establishment and Cabinet Divisions by the PPP leadership.

See also

References

  1. ^ "Wattoo meets Zardari; says never left PPP". Dawn (newspaper). 24 June 2021. Retrieved 21 February 2023.
  2. ^ "Manzoor Wattoo formally joins PTI". Dawn (newspaper). 24 September 2018. Retrieved 21 February 2023.
  3. ^ [1] Bureau of Statistics, 1998 Census
  4. ^ [2] Provincial Assembly of Punjab, 1993-1996
  5. ^ Wattoo, associates join PPP Dawn (newspaper), Published 30 May 2008, Retrieved 21 February 2023
  6. ^ After election debacle, Wattoo resigns as PPP's central Punjab president Dawn (newspaper), Published 14 May 2013, Retrieved 21 February 2023
  7. ^ "PPP Punjab Executive Committee Asks Mian Manzoor Wattoo To Withdraw Resignation". Pakistan Peoples' Party Punjab website. 18 May 2013. Archived from the original on 2 September 2017. Retrieved 21 February 2023.
Political offices
Preceded by
Ghulam Haider Wyne
Chief Minister of Punjab
1993
Succeeded by
Manzoor Elahi
Preceded by
Manzoor Elahi
2nd term
1993–1995
Succeeded by
Sardar Arif Nakai
Preceded by
Sardar Arif Nakai
3rd time
1996
Succeeded by
Mian Muhammad Afzal Hayat